Tag Archives: hiking

Hiking Chimney Tops after the Great Smoky Mountains wildfire

Posted on October 30, 2017 by tischcaylor

Our first trip back to the Great Smoky Mountains since a wildfire destroyed the condos where our family has stayed the last 30 years was bound to feel strange.   After the fire last November that consumed 17,000 acres of … Continue reading →

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A hike through the Great Black Swamp

Posted on September 11, 2017 by tischcaylor

Watching hurricane updates over the weekend, thankful to have our evacuated daughter back home and praying for loved ones who were riding out Irma huddled in a closet, it was weird to be simultaneously absorbed in writing about a hike … Continue reading →

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An awkward moment on the trail

Posted on July 6, 2016 by tischcaylor

So we’re hiking to Grotto Falls in Great Smoky Mountains National Park when my sister-in-law Dawn spots something in the bushes about 20 feet above us. “What is that up there – a piece of trash?” “Hey, it’s moving! Think it’s a … Continue reading →

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Hiking tip helps in river incident

Posted on July 4, 2016 by tischcaylor

The gap between the rocks was too wide.   I knew I could leap across, but I couldn’t tell if the rock I’d be landing on was slippery. Though my son and his long-legged male cousins had taken this route, … Continue reading →

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The hike that got away

Posted on April 8, 2015 by tischcaylor

How did we miss this? Just a couple of miles from “Indiana’s Stonehenge,” and we didn’t even know it until more than a week after we got home? This is what happens in a county where a glorious state park … Continue reading →

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Janathon: Days 1-6

Posted on January 7, 2015 by tischcaylor

So much for daily Janathon updates on Twitter. I did one on New Year’s Day and that was it. I haven’t abandoned the challenge itself, though. I’m really loving the way it gets me to shake up my usual workout … Continue reading →

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Exploring the other side of the river

Posted on October 29, 2014 by tischcaylor

Funny how all these years I’ve been running the River Greenway without paying much attention to the river itself. It would have to be something pretty spectacular, like the time we spotted 10 turtles perched on a pipe, or the … Continue reading →

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A kid’s point of view: Smoky Mountain hiking fun!

Posted on July 11, 2014 by tischcaylor

By Colleen, age 11 Tennessee  was so much fun.  I went on EVERY hike, which was pretty grueling. First on Sunday was chimney top, and that was the hardest by far. Monday was rainbow falls which was coming in hot … Continue reading →

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Bear encounter on the trail

Posted on July 7, 2014 by tischcaylor

We knew there were bears up ahead on the trail to Abrams Falls in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. A mother and three cubs, reported hikers we passed on their way back. All week long, trails had been closing due … Continue reading →

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A kid’s point of view: Nature deficit disorder

Posted on June 27, 2014 by tischcaylor

Have you ever heard of nature deficit disorder? This is what happens when a kid does not get enough time outside. It can cause a bunch of behavioral problems and it can make you fat, stressed out and less creative, … Continue reading →

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